


Book 1 - Snakey boyes

by Wyntr_Wolf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Because he deserves better, F/M, Harry and Ron are still friends even though they're in different houses, Hermione too, M/M, Slytherin Harry, a less fuckwad Draco Malfoy, a lot of original text, at least until they get to hogwarts, based on a couple au ideas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-04-29 00:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14460774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wyntr_Wolf/pseuds/Wyntr_Wolf
Summary: Based on a couple au ideas i saw once, which are: Harry gets a snake instead of an owl, who he communicates with throughout, and instead of the Weasleys on platform 9 and 3/4, it's the Malfoys.Slytherin Harry, of course, because that's where he truly belongs.





	1. Snakes and snakes

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah i wrote this ages ago and am now starting to continue with it - i already have more written so there's at least gonna be more even if i quit writing it again cuz im terrible with this kinda stuff. yall have to bear with me okay.

After exiting Gringotts, Harry didn’t know where to run next, now that he had his very own bag of money. He didn’t have to know how many galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he’d had in his whole life - more money than even Dudley ever had.

“Might as well get yer uniform,” said Hagrid, nodding towards Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. 

“Wait - can i get a pet first?” Harry asked, not even trying to keep the wonder out of his voice at having his very own owl, or cat (he didn’t really fancy a toad). 

“Well, sure, if tha’s what you want,” Hagrid agreed, a big smile poking out of his wiry beard. He gestured to a shop called Magical Menagerie. Harry grabbed Hagrid’s hand and pulled him along, getting some amused smiles from passers by. 

Entering the shop, Harry was filled with awe. There must have been a few hundred cages of owls in a front section to the left of the door, cats roaming around behind them, which harry thought was just an accident waiting to happen. There were a few cages of shiny black rats sitting on pedestals. 

As Hagrid went over to talk to the person behind the till, Harry wandered around , wondering just how he was meant to choose. He walked over to the back, where there were tanks that he hadn’t noticed before. All had yellow light shining into them. Coiled under a false rock in one container, was a small snake. The plaque on the side said:

 

Ball python  
Female  
2 months old  
35 galleons

“Hhelloo,” whispered the snake, poking her head out of the rock. “Whho might you be?” She had patterned skin, light murky green with darker splotches that looked like abstract faces, and a dark stripe down the spine. 

Harry got a sudden sense of deja vu, remembering the snake at the zoo, that he accidentally broke out. “Uh, hi? I’m Harry, and I’m looking for a pet,” He awkwardly bent down so he could be at eye level with the snake.

“Welll, have you conssiderred a snnakkeee?” she asked.

“Not really,” Harry replied, “My Hogwarts letter said only cats, owls and toads.”

“Oh, manny sstudentss buy snnakess asss petss,” she promised eagerly. “Whhy, ssomeone boought a ssnakee jusst yessterday, headingg for Hogwartss.” 

“Really?” at the snake’s nod, Harry lifted his head over the tank so he could look at the till, where hagrid was standing, chatting with the cashier. “Hagrid, can I have a snake?” 

Hagrid’s head turned, and he bore a reluctant expression. “Are ye sure ye wouldn’ prefer an owl? All the kids want owls, they’re dead useful, carry yer post an’ everythin’,” He reasoned.

“But this snake’s just lovely,” Harry said, “Please?” 

Hagrid sighed. “Well, If yer heart’s dead set on it,” Hagrid ambled over to the tank to have a look. “I’ll admit, tha’s a pretty pretty snake there.” He said resignedly. 

Harry and Hagrid stepped out of the shop a few minutes later, Harry with a shrunken tank in his pocket. The cashier had said that since hardly anyone ever buys snakes, he could have the tank and all of the things inside it too for an extra fifteen galleons. Harry assumed that was a good deal. 

“Alrigh’ now, let’s get yer uniform.” Hagrid lead them back over to Madam Malkin’s, and pushed the door open for Harry to pass through. 

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed in all mauve. “Hogwarts, dear?” She said, when Harry started to speak. Hagrid nodded in his peripheral vision. “ Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact,” 

Hagrid parked himself on a chair in the front room, while Harry was taken to the back. 

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head and began to pin it to the right length.

“Hullo,” said the other boy, “Hogwarts too?” 

“Yes,” said Harry.

“My father’s next door buying my books and Mother’s up the street looking at wands,” said the boy. he had a bored, drawling voice. 

“I just bought my pet,” Harry added, slightly intimidated by the boy’s obvious knowledge of the wizarding world. 

“What did you buy? My mother was talking about buying me a hawk owl from one of our private breeders,” The boy said. Harry didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t tell whether he was bragging or not. Did everyone in the wizarding world have private owl breeders?

“I bought a ball python,” Harry told, hoping it would elicit a positive response.

“A python? That’s very cool. Snakes are my favorite animal, and symbol of slytherin house, you know. Know what house you’ll be in yet?” He asked, losing the cold mask that he had adopted while talking about his family. 

“No clue,” Harry admitted shyly. 

“Well, nobody really knows, I suppose. But obviously I’ll be in Slytherin. All of our family have been.” He proclaimed. 

“I don’t really know much about the houses,” Harry hoped the boy wouldn’t think he was stupid. 

“How come? Your parents aren’t.. Muggles, are they?” Harry could practically hear the sneer the boy was trying to cover.

“No, they were a witch and wizard, but they died,” Harry felt really uncomfortable telling a boy he didn’t even know that he was an orphan, but he was reassured by the lack of pity in the boy’s voice. 

“That’s… terrible.” He said quite softly. “Well, the houses are Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Slytherins are ambitious, resourceful and know how to get their way. Some of the greatest wizards of all time were in slytherin, but there’s this stereotype that slytherin is the bad house.

“Then there’s Gryffindor. Slytherin and Gryffindor are age old rivals. Gryffindor favours nerve, chivalry, bravery. At least that’s what they tell you. I’ve met a couple and they’re all just really impulsive and don’t like rules,” This made Harry laugh, “Gryffindors are the personal favorites of the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

“Ravenclaw is the house that values Wisdom and Intelligence, especially creativity. If not Slytherin, I’d definitely be a Ravenclaw.” 

“I don’t think I’ll be a Ravenclaw, to be honest.” This got a smile out of the boy. 

“All done!” Called Madam Malkin, and Harry looked down to see perfectly fitted robes. The witch attending to the other boy was already gone, having finished while they were talking. 

The boys stepped down from the stools. “What about hufflepuff then?” Harry asked. They started wandering back to the front of the shop as the boy talked.

“Hufflepuff values hard work, perseverance and patience, but that house is full of pansies. Trust me, Hufflepuff’s the worst house. Plus, yellow doesn’t look good on most people, I doubt the students would pull it off.” He said with a smile.

“So, now that you know the houses, which one do you think?” he asked

“I still have no idea, to be honest,” Harry replied stopping short of the door. 

“Well, I’d think either Slytherin or Gryffindor, maybe. Who knows? By the way, what’s your name?” The boy questioned.

“Uh, Harry Potter,” Harry said unsurely, not wanting the boy to think he was lying. His eyes darted to Harry’s forehead after a moment of surprise, where his scar was just visible through his hair. “You are?” Harry asked awkwardly.

“Draco, Malfoy.” he replied, his eyes returning back to Harry’s. “See you at Hogwarts, I suppose.” Draco stretched out his hand and Harry took it. He then left, to be berated by a man with the same pale hair.

“Draco! What took so long! We have places to be!” The man scolded quickly moving him along. 

Harry came out of the shop to see Hagrid through the window nextdoor. He entered the shop, which was named Flourish and Blotts. “Harry! I though’ I’d pick up yer Books for ye, Just need to pay and we can get some ice cream, eh?” 

“Sounds really nice, Hagrid.” Harry replied.


	2. Platform Nine and Three Quarters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gettin on the train boiz

Harry’s last month with the Dursleys wasn’t fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn’t stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn’t shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything or shout at him- in fact, they didn’t speak to him at all. Half-terrified, half-furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it was empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did get quite depressing after a while.

Harry kept to his room, with his new snake for company. He decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig and him chatting about some of the information. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September first. 

On the last day of August he thought he’d better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King’s Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room, where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his voice to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room. 

“Er - Uncle Vernon?”

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

“Er - I need to be at King’s Cross tomorrow to - to go to Hogwarts.”

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

“Would it be alright if you gave me a lift?”

Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes. 

“Thank you.

He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.

“Funny way to get to a wizards’ school, the train. Magic Carpet all got punctures, have they?”

Harry didn’t say anything.

“Where is this school, anyway?”

“I don’t know,” said Harry, realising for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket. “I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o’clock,” he read.

His aunt and uncle stared. 

“Platform what?” 

“Nine and three-quarters.”

“Don’t talk rubbish,” said Uncle Vernon, “There is no platform nine and three-quarters.”

“It’s on my ticket.”  
“Barking,” said Uncle Vernon, “howling mad, the lot of them. You’ll see. You just wait. All right, we’ll take you to King’s Cross. We’re going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn’t bother.” 

“Why are you going to London?” Harry asked, trying to keep thing friendly.

“Taking Dudley to the hospital,” growled Uncle Vernon. “Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings.” 

 

Harry woke at five o’clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn’t want to walk to the station in his wizard’s robes - He’d change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig’s tank was closed properly and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry’s huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys’ car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.

They had reached King’s Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry’s trunk onto a trolley and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nast grin on his face.

“Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don’t seem to have built it yet, do they?”

He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all. 

“Have a good term,” said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry’s mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract funny looks, because of Hedwig. He’d have to ask someone.   
He stopped a passing guard, but didn’t dare mention platform nine and three quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn’t even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o’clock, but the guard said there wasn’t one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was left stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money and a large snake tank. 

Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket box between platforms nina and ten. He swept a nervous hand through his hair, just as he caught a few words of a woman’s sentence:

“-just packed with muggles-” 

Harry swung round. A familiar face was wading through the crowd of people to his left. “Er - Draco?” Harry half shouted, trying to get his attention. He was with a woman who was obviously his mother. She had the same blonde hair and pale skin. She had a kind of royal air about her, almost telling you that she was too good for you to even interact with her. 

Draco turned suddenly, and made eye contact with Harry. “Hey Harry!” Draco beckoned him over with a smile. “You okay over there?” Draco’s trolley was piled high with trunks, with a owl cage secured on top. The owl inside must have been the eagle owl Draco talked about in Madam Malkin’s, because it was extremely regal looking, its two small head tufts impeccably well preened

Harry smiled shyly and looked down at his scuffed shoes. Next to Draco, he looked like a homeless kid. “I kind of don’t know how to get onto the platform.” He admitted. 

“Draco, would you introduce me to your friend?” His mother spoke in a more caring voice than Harry would have imagined.

“Mother, this is Harry Potter,” Draco hesitated before he said Harry’s name, obviously anticipating the woman’s look of shock, which was masked almost immediately. “We met in the robe shop in Diagon Alley.” 

“Well Mr. Potter, It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Narcissa Malfoy, Draco’s mother,” she introduced.

“Hi,”

“Did I hear that you are not clear on how to get to the platform?” Narcissa asked. At Harry’s nod she continued. “It’s quite simple, but i suppose it’s one of the last things someone might think of when trying to get through. All you need to do, is run at that wall with your trolley, and you’ll pass right through.” 

Harry thought she was kidding, but then she turned to her son. “Draco, would you like to go first and show Mr. Potter?” Harry could tell that Draco was nervous too, but he nodded. 

Draco ran at the wall and Harry made sure to keep his eyes wide and unblinking to not miss any of it. His body vanished through the wall like it wasn’t even there. 

“Right, now, your turn, Mr. Potter. I’ll come through with you.” Narcissa placed a delicate hand on the side of his trolley and started to move. Harry started pushing, and soon they were zooming towards a brick wall. Harry had just a split second of regret before he had passed through the wall and was staring at a huge, shiny steam train. 

Draco was a few metres away, trying to shake off a similar state of awe. Narcissa was smiling fondly, remembering her time first gazing at the train. 

The platform was extremely crowded. There were cliques of friends, not yet on the train, teary eyed parents saying goodbye to their children, and conductors trying to hurry the whole process along. 

Harry shook himself and looked around a bit. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, 11 o’clock. Behind him there was a wrought-iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. 

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowds, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

“Mother, why couldn’t father come and see his only son and heir off to Hogwarts for the first time?” Draco complained to his mother.

“Oh Draco, you know your father can’t come because of work. But, I will personally make sure he floos you this evening, so you can have a nice long chat about your first day. How about that?” She compromised kindly. Draco huffed slightly but nodded, uncrossing his arms to embrace her. 

“Have a good time, Dragon, write every week!” Narcissa said, squeezing her son before letting go. Harry stood there awkwardly, not really knowing if there was anything he should be doing while this exchange was happening.

“Of course, Mother. Now let me get on the train!” Draco whined impatiently.

Narcissa smiled fondly before turning her attention to Harry. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter. Make sure to take care of my son, he can be quite the prankster, you know.” 

Draco smirked and beckoned Harry on after he said goodbye. “Come on! We should get a compartment to ourselves!” He yelled over the noise, the crowd getting louder the closer to the train they got.

Harry didn’t know how Draco was going so fast while wheeling a trolley with four trunks on it, plus an owl cage. There was a man at the door of the train that helped carry their items onto the train. Harry got a quizzical look for the snake tank but no comment. 

Harry and Draco managed to slip into an empty compartment at a group was approaching. Harry was on the receiving end of withering glances as they went off to find another place to sit. 

When he turned around after closing the door, Draco was already spread out on the seats near the window, to the left. Harry sat opposite him and looked out of the window at the crowds outside. The train would be moving soon. 

Bundles of students in each carriage leaned out of train windows to wave at their parents. Adults crowded around the train goodbying their children. Harry watched as Draco waved politely through the glass at his mother. Then, the train started to pull away from the station. 

After a few minutes of the two boys sitting in a silence that was just verging on awkward, the carriage door slid open and a lanky, freckled boy with flaming red hair stood in the doorway. 

“Er- there’s nowhere left to sit,” He started “Could I-?” He gestured vaguely to the seat right of the door. 

Draco adopted a sneer that looked right at home on his face - probably from practice, Harry thought - and eyed the boy’s old clothes. Harry looked down at himself, at his own worn out, baggy clothes. 

“Sure, come in.” Draco looked at Harry in surprise but quickly masked it as the ginger sat down. He shot a grateful smile to Harry as he heaved his trunk up into the holder. 

“I’m Ron, by the way, Ron Weasley,” he said.

“I’m Harry Potter,” Harry said, momentarily forgetting his fame until Ron’s eyes widened, and Harry averted his gaze.” 

“Really? Do you have the-”

“Scar? Yeah,” Harry threaded his fingers through his fringe and pinned it to the top of his head, completely absorbed in the fascinating patterns of the carriage seats. Ron was staring, and Harry definitely caught Draco looking at his scar as well. 

“And, and that’s-” Harry started, nodding to Draco.

“Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.” Harry could tell that Draco was trying to be polite, and he appreciated it. Ron nodded minutely. Harry wondered if the Malfoys were famous in the wizarding world, he wouldn’t be surprised, from Draco’s posh demeanor to all of his fresh clothes and items. 

Soon there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, “Anything off the trolley, dears?” 

Harry, who hadn’t had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, Draco quick to follow him, but Ron’s ears went pink and he muttered that he had brought sandwiches. Draco’s reaction surprised Harry, a faint sneer, but it was quickly hidden when Draco saw harry watching. Strange. 

He had never had any money for sweets with the Dursleys and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to boy as many Mars Bars as he could carry - but the woman didn’t have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans, Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver sickles and seven bronze knuts. Draco was far more selective with what he bought, but what he did choose, he bought in bulk. Harry didn’t see how much he paid. 

Ron stared at the two as they piled their sweets on the seats. 

“Hungry, are you two?” 

“Starving,” Harry said at the same time Draco said “Fairly,”

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches in there. He pulled one apart and said, “She always forgets i don’t like corned beef,”

“Swap you one of these,” said Harry, holding up a Pumpkin Pasty for Ron to take. “Go on-” 

“Why don’t we just get him some more?” Draco spoke up. He had been staring at the sandwiches for a while. 

“Good idea Draco! Lets go catch up with the trolley,” Harry said, jumping up.

“No, you guys don’t have to-” Ron protested, but Draco was already halfway to the door. 

“We won’t hear of it, Weasley, this is happening.” 

Harry smiled as they raced down the hall to get Ron his own stash of treats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there u go


	3. The train journey

The door opened a few minutes after they had got back with their sweets. It was a round faced boy and bushy haired girl. 

“Has anyone seen a toad? Neville’s lost one,” she spoke in a bossy tone. She had rather large front teeth and was already dressed in her hogwarts uniform. 

“No,” Harry replied. He was tempted to offer to help search, but his pile of sweets (that he had barely even made a dent in yet) beckoned him back. 

“Oh, okay. Keep an eye out, would you?” the boy asked asked, turning to leave.

“Must be awful losing your pet, though a toad? Wouldn’t be that bothered.” Draco remarked, munching on a ginger newt. 

“Yeah. though i brought Scabbers, so I can’t talk.” Ron pulled a run-down, patchy rat from his pocket. 

“My god, it looks awful!” the girl said.

“It’s not actually called Scabbers, is it?” Draco said skeptically. 

“Yup. Used to be my brother Percy’s. I think he just wanted to get rid of him, so he dumped him on me,” The rat was snoozing in his lap, probably not even aware he was moved. “He might have died and you wouldn’t know the difference,” he said in disgust. “I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn’t work. I’ll show you, look…”

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end. 

“Unicorn hair’s nearly poking out. Anyway,” 

“Seriously? It can’t be safe to practice magic with a wand that damaged,” Draco exclaimed.

“Yeah, well, nothing you can do,” Ron shrugged.

The girl watched very closely as Ron cleared his throat. 

“Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,  
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.”

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep. 

“Are you sure that’s a real spell?” Draco asked. 

“Well, it’s not very good, is it? I’ve tried a few simple spells just for practice and they’ve all worked for me. Nobody in my family’s magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when i got my letter, but i was ever so pleased, of course, i mean, it’s the very best school of witchcraft there is, I’ve heard - I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it’ll be enough - I’m Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?” The girl said, leaning her back on the door frame. 

“I’m Ron Weasley” Ron muttered.

“Draco Malfoy”

“I’m Harry Potter,” 

“Are you really?” Said Hermione. “I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books for background reading, and you’re in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.”

“Am I?” said Harry, feeling dazed. 

“Of course you are, Potter, you’re one of the most famous people in the wizarding community.” Draco drawled. 

“Goodness, you didn’t know, I’d have found out everything i could if it was me," said Hermione. “Do any of you know what house you’ll be in? I’ve been asking around and I hope I’m in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but i suppose Ravenclaw wouldn’t be too bad… Anyway, i’d better go catch up with Neville,” and with that, she was gone. 

“Well she was weird.” Ron said with a mouth full of chocolate. Harry shrugged.

“Whatever house i’m in, i hope she’s not in it,” said Ron, throwing his wand back into his trunk. 

“Agreed.” said Draco. 

“Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud.”

“What house are your brothers in?” asked Harry. 

“Gryffindor.” said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. “Mum and Dad were in it too. I don’t know what they’ll say if i’m not.” 

“If it’s any consolation” Draco spoke up, “Gryffindors kinda suck.”  
“Draco!” Harry said.

“What? I mean look at miss i’ve-learnt-all-my-books-off-by-heart there.” He reasoned. Harry just thought this was going to make Ron feel worse, so he was surprised when he laughed. 

“You do have a point there, Malfoy.” 

“I’m bored.” Hedwig whispered from her tank above Harry. Draco’s head whipped around.

“What was that hissing?” He asked, Ron also looking around from the corner. 

“That’s just my snake, she said she’s bored.” 

Draco looked at him quizzically, but Hedwig continued.

“Haaarryyy, I’m soo boorrreddd.” The snake complained again. 

“Fine, fine, i’ll get you out.” Harry replied, eliciting a splutter from Ron and equally badly contained surprise from Draco. Harry stood on his chair and opened Hedwig’s tank, letting the snake wrap around his forearm before closing it and sitting back on his chair again. “What do you want?”

“I don’t know, food?” 

“You always want food! How much can you possibly eat? I fed you before we left!”

“So?” 

“Uh, Potter?” Draco said, pulling his attention from his snake. “What are you doing? Can you speak Parseltongue?”

“What’s that?” Harry asked, feeling stupid and nervous by their shocked expressions.

“It’s the language of snakes! I can’t believe Harry Potter speaks parseltongue!” Ron practically rioted. Harry couldn’t tell whether this was a good thing or not.

Draco started chanting, “Slytherin! Slytherin! Slytherin!” slowly getting faster each time, a wide green slowly appearing on his face. Ron looked baffled as he watched him. 

He looked around and saw the two staring. “Oh, shove off. It’s just so freeing to be away from father’s constant rules and personal etiquette for at least a minute. I’ll have to go back to it when i meet up with Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle.” 

“Who?” Ron asked, sliding away from his corner slightly. 

“Some of my childhood friends.” the way Draco said ‘childhood friends’ made it sound like they weren’t childhood friends at all, just tolerable annoyances. 

“Giive me to the albiino one, he likesss mee, hee’ll feeed me” Hedwig said, tired of being ignored.  
The other two boys both perked up as Harry hissed back. “His name is Draco, and he’s not albino, just very pale,” 

“Eh whatever,” Hedwig was already halfway to Draco, teetering on the edge of Harry’s fingers. Draco looked awed when he hesitantly reached out his hands and let the serpent wrap around his forearm. 

Hedwig leaned up into Draco’s face. “Ohh yeahh, sssilver eyesss, i concceeede,” 

“Thanks,” 

“What’s she saying?” Ron asked, leaning in close to examine her.

“Nothing important. She really wants food, too, but don’t give her any. She’s already eaten.” 

“Telll him that i want foood,” Hedwig ordered, 

“No,” Harry whispered back.

“What are you saying?” Ron asked again,

“She’s still asking for food,” Harry told, crossing his arms and staring down the snake. 

“Please, Potter, let me feed her, she likes me!” Draco said, scrunching his eyebrows together and tilting his head to the side. 

“Fiine,” Harry gave in with a not at all hidden smile. 

Draco and Ron started attempting to talk in parseltongue to Hedwig, which left Harry the job of translator, informing them that they had either just said ‘suitcase wedding’ or complete gibberish, which lead to the both of them being confused on how they were trying for parseltongue and somehow managed to speak gibberish, and how do you know any gibberish anyway, Harry? I thought you were raised by muggles? And Harry then being completely confused and- you get the idea.

The door opened and revealed the bushy haired girl from earlier, the one looking for the toad. “What has been going on?” 

“I think he knocked himself out,” Ron said, talking about scabbers lying in his lap. The thing had been searching for food crumbs while they were distracted with hedwig, and now looked just about ready to explode. “Can we help you with something?” Ron asked, turning his attention to her after she cleared her throat, staring up at her from where he was horizontal on the bench, lying next to his pile of sweet wrappers. 

“You better hurry up and put your robes on, i’ve just been up front talking to the driver and he said we’ll be there soon.”

When the train pulled into the station, Harry felt butterflies arise in his stomach. He pulled at the collar of his shirt nervously. They had changed into their uniforms about fifteen minutes earlier, and all Harry had been able to do since then is stare at the Hogwarts insignia. 

“Don’t be so nervous, Potter,” Draco said this, yet he was obviously jittery. “We’re doing this together, right?” Draco’s outstretched hand sat between them. Harry stared at it for a split second before taking it. 

“Right.” 

“Come on you two, let’s go!” Ron interrupted, shoving the door open. 

“Don’t forget your luggage, Ron!” Harry reminded him, only to be corrected.

“They literally just told us that we should leave it on the train.” Draco rolled his eyes as he followed Ron out of the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, another chapter, thats actually pretty long for me. I told someone like two months ago that i would work on this immediately and guess what i didn't. but hey, i'm a fourteen your old girl just trying to live my fourteen year old weeb dreams. it's summer now so i might be able to work on this more, and then i've got gcses to worry about, woopty fuckin doo. I've also got three other stories i'm supposed to be working on :/. The characters are probably so ooc in this, except Hermione because all of her dialogue is basically straight from the book. oh well. next up is the sorting ceremony, look forward to that in a few months probably lol


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